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Star Wars: Agent of the Empire #1
Star Wars: Agent of the Empire, Volume One – Iron Eclipse
Collects Star Wars: Agent of the Empire - Iron Eclipse #1–5. Imperial power is at its height. With Palpatine on the throne and his chief enforcer, Darth Vader, leading fleets of Star Destroyers and legions of stormtroopers across the galaxy, the Empire is an unstoppable force for order and peace. But not every political problem requires military might; not every negotiation depends on a show of force. Sometimes all diplomacy needs to succeed is the right man, in the right place, with the willingness to get the job done. No matter what it takes.
119 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2012
10 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
John Ostrander
2,081 books172 followersJohn Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 2, 2017
Wowy zowy!
Cross. Jahan Cross.
Soldier. Spy. Lover.
Apart from the Star Wars setting, which includes improbable appearances by Han and Chewie, this is pretty paint-by-numbers corporate espionage stuff, with rich orphaned daughters and lusty widows aplenty to be seduced along the way as generally Competent Man Cross blazes a trail across the Corporate Sector. Heck, even his trusty 'Droid sidekick is a bit of a looker!
As a twist compared to most SW stuff, however, Cross is not doing it to restore the Jedi Order or topple the Emperor, he's actually a true believer of Palpatine's and acts accordingly.
Colourful and clearly drawn art abounds, but a dearth of compelling secondary characters makes this very much a middle-of-the-road read for me, at least.
Cross. Jahan Cross.
Soldier. Spy. Lover.
Apart from the Star Wars setting, which includes improbable appearances by Han and Chewie, this is pretty paint-by-numbers corporate espionage stuff, with rich orphaned daughters and lusty widows aplenty to be seduced along the way as generally Competent Man Cross blazes a trail across the Corporate Sector. Heck, even his trusty 'Droid sidekick is a bit of a looker!
As a twist compared to most SW stuff, however, Cross is not doing it to restore the Jedi Order or topple the Emperor, he's actually a true believer of Palpatine's and acts accordingly.
Colourful and clearly drawn art abounds, but a dearth of compelling secondary characters makes this very much a middle-of-the-road read for me, at least.
December 14, 2025
The james bond of star wars, very fun read!
November 13, 2020
James Bond meets Star Wars. This was light, fun, and colorful.
September 27, 2023
What if James Bond, but also Star Wars? John Ostrander has spoken many times on his idea of narrative alloys, on combining seemingly disparate elements to create something fresh. In the case of Agents of Empire, those elements were Star Wars and spy stories, and so we have Jahan Cross, an Imperial agent who navigates high society parties and dirty back allies with equal comfort, a man who beds exotic women, kills people who try to pull a gun on him, gets all the wonderful toys a secret agent can hope for and does it all like he was born to it.
It’s a lot of fun. There’s an understanding of both the tropes of Bond and Star Wars in the writing that makes everything flow together into an organic whole, something where the foreign element introduced doesn’t get rejected.
We are introduced to Jahan Cross as he confronts a corrupt imperial official with proof of said corruption. The confrontation turns violent and our agent hero survives through the use of bold action, some with and gadgets, as a super spy should. A typical Bond-movie introduction. After this cold opening we continue following along with the next traditional stage of a Bond movie, as our hero returns to base to receive his next mission and enjoy a tour of various gadgets that he will go on to use over the course of the coming story. He gets chewed out by his superior for being a maverick, the tech people deride him for not keeping things in good condition.
His mission is to investigate some suspicious happenings (I will not go into details regarding the intrigue of the plot) on a world not affiliated with the Empire. The people under investigations are the Stark family, who are in the droid business (of course the robotics company is being run by Starks). The Stark family has two beautiful women in it. If I said Jahan beds them both, would you find it hard to believe?
During his investigation Jahan runs into Han Solo and Chewbacca, whose presence in the cover probably helped sell this book. Solo makes note of Jahan having been one of the best pilots, and a man of honor. This explains why the smuggler with a heart of gold finds himself working with an Imperial agent.
For the remainder of the story, things progress as you would expect, with a few twists and a lot of action. There are fun side characters like the local law enforcement or certain members of the Stark family, there’s the usual instance of the spy being disowned by his employers, there’s a surprise villain and a plot of immense proportions, speeches made explaining nefarious plans and everything ends in a love scene between two people who should be traumatized by the horrific violence they’ve just participated in. A very Bond story.
There are nods to the rest of Star Wars canon here and there. Some are cheeky, like Han Solo saying he’s not the marrying type. Others are more meaningful, like Jahan Cross explaining why he believes in the Empire – and he really does. This is what makes him an interesting character: he’s an honourable, (almost) unambiguously good man who works for the ur-example of evil empires fully believing that doing so is the right thing to do. What’s also interesting about Cross is that his reasons for believing in the Empire can be argued to be both right and wrong. One might say that they are right “from a certain point of view”, a very Star Wars notion. So what happened?
Spoilers for Jahan Cross’ past, present (and future?) as well as the Star Wars Prequel trilogy:
During the last days of the Republic, Jahan Cross and his family lived in relative comfort on Coruscant. During the events covered in Revenge of the Sith’s opening, Jahan’s world is torn apart. His mother is killed and his sister is dragged by scavengers below the streets of the city. Jahan, only a boy himself, descends down after them and kills them, too late to save his sister. A brutal end to a childhood. Jahan learns, just as all the other citizens learned, that the Jedi had been manipulating the Clone Wars from behind the scenes, that they were the villains of this story and therefore responsible for his tragedy.
Jahan is of course completely unaware that Palpatine was the one behind Dooku and Grievous, that his kidnapping was a plot. Jahan is unaware that the things he believes in with such conviction, the things that give him purpose and help elevate him as a human being, as a man of honour, dignity and integrity, are lies. This paradox lies at the heart of Jahan Cross: a good man who believes in a pack of lies told by an evil man, a good man serving an evil empire for reasons that are untrue but certainly leading him to pursue a noble cause. Would he be better off knowing the truth and fighting against the Empire? Would he abandon it even if he did know, taking into account the distaste he shows for the chaos and disorder that resulted in the deaths of his loved ones? Or does he know it all to be lies and admit as much? We don’t know!
Another point worth considering is the fate of In-ga 44, the mandatory droid companion. She (very definitely she) is not given much to do. The craft of her construction is praised, but she is left minding the ship while Jahan goes on his investigation, leading to her being captured and reprogrammed by the enemy (in a scene somewhat reminiscent of David Bowman turning off HAL in 2001) and turned against Jahan.
Two competing directives flare up inside her: to kill Jahan Cross and to kill his assailant. Unable to break through this conundrum by herself, she gets an extra push from Jahan: to destroy the Eclipse station and thereby eliminate all of her targets. And this she does, but in the end a choice is left to Jahan: to save her or not.
How is that a choice? For a hero, saving your droid companion is absolutely the obvious choice, isn’t it? A daring escape, some last-minute tension and everybody gets away scot free! Of course, should one even expect everyone to make it out in a story written by the author of Suicide Squad? And indeed, there’s a problem: there’s something dangerous inside Inga’s system. Should she be returned to the Empire, she could either spread this something or enable imperial scientists to fiddle around in her and gain power the likes of which even Jahan does not wish to give to his masters (and yet he’s still loyal to them?!)
Faced with this choice, most heroes would find a way to save her. They would take the risk and be rewarded for it. Jahan Cross is not like those heroes. He leaves her behind, leaving her to be destroyed rather than taking a risk of something awful happening in the future. She’s just a droid anyway. Isn’t this the right choice, rationally speaking?
This is a 5-issue miniseries, yet it raises a great many questions about the main character, enough material to work with for a long time. This is why John Ostrander is one of my all-time favourite writers, he can find gold in every stream he dips his toes in. The artwork is provided by Stépahne Roux and Stépahne Créty, with inks by Julien Hugonnard-Bert. These names seem to indicate French heritage and I am unfamiliar with them. The style is very familiar to anyone who has read Dark Horse era Star Wars, though. Characters seen in films are recognizable as themselves, all the iconic imagery is reproduced accurately and anything new is rendered in a way that makes it feel instantly right at home in the larger universe.
Jahan Cross will return in Hard Targets.
It’s a lot of fun. There’s an understanding of both the tropes of Bond and Star Wars in the writing that makes everything flow together into an organic whole, something where the foreign element introduced doesn’t get rejected.
We are introduced to Jahan Cross as he confronts a corrupt imperial official with proof of said corruption. The confrontation turns violent and our agent hero survives through the use of bold action, some with and gadgets, as a super spy should. A typical Bond-movie introduction. After this cold opening we continue following along with the next traditional stage of a Bond movie, as our hero returns to base to receive his next mission and enjoy a tour of various gadgets that he will go on to use over the course of the coming story. He gets chewed out by his superior for being a maverick, the tech people deride him for not keeping things in good condition.
His mission is to investigate some suspicious happenings (I will not go into details regarding the intrigue of the plot) on a world not affiliated with the Empire. The people under investigations are the Stark family, who are in the droid business (of course the robotics company is being run by Starks). The Stark family has two beautiful women in it. If I said Jahan beds them both, would you find it hard to believe?
During his investigation Jahan runs into Han Solo and Chewbacca, whose presence in the cover probably helped sell this book. Solo makes note of Jahan having been one of the best pilots, and a man of honor. This explains why the smuggler with a heart of gold finds himself working with an Imperial agent.
For the remainder of the story, things progress as you would expect, with a few twists and a lot of action. There are fun side characters like the local law enforcement or certain members of the Stark family, there’s the usual instance of the spy being disowned by his employers, there’s a surprise villain and a plot of immense proportions, speeches made explaining nefarious plans and everything ends in a love scene between two people who should be traumatized by the horrific violence they’ve just participated in. A very Bond story.
There are nods to the rest of Star Wars canon here and there. Some are cheeky, like Han Solo saying he’s not the marrying type. Others are more meaningful, like Jahan Cross explaining why he believes in the Empire – and he really does. This is what makes him an interesting character: he’s an honourable, (almost) unambiguously good man who works for the ur-example of evil empires fully believing that doing so is the right thing to do. What’s also interesting about Cross is that his reasons for believing in the Empire can be argued to be both right and wrong. One might say that they are right “from a certain point of view”, a very Star Wars notion. So what happened?
Spoilers for Jahan Cross’ past, present (and future?) as well as the Star Wars Prequel trilogy:
During the last days of the Republic, Jahan Cross and his family lived in relative comfort on Coruscant. During the events covered in Revenge of the Sith’s opening, Jahan’s world is torn apart. His mother is killed and his sister is dragged by scavengers below the streets of the city. Jahan, only a boy himself, descends down after them and kills them, too late to save his sister. A brutal end to a childhood. Jahan learns, just as all the other citizens learned, that the Jedi had been manipulating the Clone Wars from behind the scenes, that they were the villains of this story and therefore responsible for his tragedy.
Jahan is of course completely unaware that Palpatine was the one behind Dooku and Grievous, that his kidnapping was a plot. Jahan is unaware that the things he believes in with such conviction, the things that give him purpose and help elevate him as a human being, as a man of honour, dignity and integrity, are lies. This paradox lies at the heart of Jahan Cross: a good man who believes in a pack of lies told by an evil man, a good man serving an evil empire for reasons that are untrue but certainly leading him to pursue a noble cause. Would he be better off knowing the truth and fighting against the Empire? Would he abandon it even if he did know, taking into account the distaste he shows for the chaos and disorder that resulted in the deaths of his loved ones? Or does he know it all to be lies and admit as much? We don’t know!
Another point worth considering is the fate of In-ga 44, the mandatory droid companion. She (very definitely she) is not given much to do. The craft of her construction is praised, but she is left minding the ship while Jahan goes on his investigation, leading to her being captured and reprogrammed by the enemy (in a scene somewhat reminiscent of David Bowman turning off HAL in 2001) and turned against Jahan.
Two competing directives flare up inside her: to kill Jahan Cross and to kill his assailant. Unable to break through this conundrum by herself, she gets an extra push from Jahan: to destroy the Eclipse station and thereby eliminate all of her targets. And this she does, but in the end a choice is left to Jahan: to save her or not.
How is that a choice? For a hero, saving your droid companion is absolutely the obvious choice, isn’t it? A daring escape, some last-minute tension and everybody gets away scot free! Of course, should one even expect everyone to make it out in a story written by the author of Suicide Squad? And indeed, there’s a problem: there’s something dangerous inside Inga’s system. Should she be returned to the Empire, she could either spread this something or enable imperial scientists to fiddle around in her and gain power the likes of which even Jahan does not wish to give to his masters (and yet he’s still loyal to them?!)
Faced with this choice, most heroes would find a way to save her. They would take the risk and be rewarded for it. Jahan Cross is not like those heroes. He leaves her behind, leaving her to be destroyed rather than taking a risk of something awful happening in the future. She’s just a droid anyway. Isn’t this the right choice, rationally speaking?
This is a 5-issue miniseries, yet it raises a great many questions about the main character, enough material to work with for a long time. This is why John Ostrander is one of my all-time favourite writers, he can find gold in every stream he dips his toes in. The artwork is provided by Stépahne Roux and Stépahne Créty, with inks by Julien Hugonnard-Bert. These names seem to indicate French heritage and I am unfamiliar with them. The style is very familiar to anyone who has read Dark Horse era Star Wars, though. Characters seen in films are recognizable as themselves, all the iconic imagery is reproduced accurately and anything new is rendered in a way that makes it feel instantly right at home in the larger universe.
Jahan Cross will return in Hard Targets.
January 31, 2019
Take an imperial agent that’s a wannabe rip off of James Bond, throw in some anatomically correct droids and female eye candy, dash a bit of intrigue, sprinkle a tiny amount of story, and mix it all together and you have a pretty good idea of the very average and unsatisfying comic that Iron Eclipse is.
At face value, I’ll give Ostrander a small bit of credit for not going down the “Jedi” route and trying to tell a story that wasn’t 100% recognizable Star Wars fare, but that didn’t mean this had to be so boring and plain.
Like I said, Cross is a clone of James Bond, just with an imperial uniform and a blank check to run amok. Like Bond, he’s good with a gun, great a martial arts, performs well under pressure, and has zero qualms about bedding anything with legs and vagina. Even his robot had unsettling anatomical features, crossing into the uncanny valley and being flat out uncomfortable. Unlike James Bond, however, there’s almost no motivation for anything Cross does (well, a very minor and pedestrian backstory tries to explain that) so his actions make him seem like a loaded gun about to go off. His reaction (and hell, everyone else’s too) to the situations that Ostrander puts him in makes no sense, and even though the Emperor was pretty lenient on letting Vader do whatever the hell he wanted, it just didn’t seem like letting Jahan Cross be an agent with no leash or consequences would be in his character.
Yeah, basically, Iron Eclipse didn’t do it for me. At all. It’s one saving grace, though? Decent artwork at great colors.
At face value, I’ll give Ostrander a small bit of credit for not going down the “Jedi” route and trying to tell a story that wasn’t 100% recognizable Star Wars fare, but that didn’t mean this had to be so boring and plain.
Like I said, Cross is a clone of James Bond, just with an imperial uniform and a blank check to run amok. Like Bond, he’s good with a gun, great a martial arts, performs well under pressure, and has zero qualms about bedding anything with legs and vagina. Even his robot had unsettling anatomical features, crossing into the uncanny valley and being flat out uncomfortable. Unlike James Bond, however, there’s almost no motivation for anything Cross does (well, a very minor and pedestrian backstory tries to explain that) so his actions make him seem like a loaded gun about to go off. His reaction (and hell, everyone else’s too) to the situations that Ostrander puts him in makes no sense, and even though the Emperor was pretty lenient on letting Vader do whatever the hell he wanted, it just didn’t seem like letting Jahan Cross be an agent with no leash or consequences would be in his character.
Yeah, basically, Iron Eclipse didn’t do it for me. At all. It’s one saving grace, though? Decent artwork at great colors.
July 27, 2024
I really enjoyed the story. It was fun interesting and explored realm of Star Wars You don’t see super often.
November 20, 2017
So the Galactic Empire is full of evil xenophobic megalomaniacs who fill their days enslaving populations and crushing the weak underfoot, right? Well, no actually, at least no more so than any other civilization or governing body. This is a side to the Empire that Luke Skywalker never sees from the sands of Tatooine to the cockpit of his X-wing as he barrels down the Death Star trench.
The Empire, like any other organisation, is run on rules and is reliant on may parts. If those rules are broken and those parts don't do their job, Agent Cross is the man to fix the problem. If Cross is guilty of anything, it's that he believes the lies the Empire has fed him about the Jedi orchestrating the civil war in a bid to seize power. He views corruption as an act of treachery against the Empire.
This is a thrilling spy story with more than a subtle flavour of James Bond about it. The main plot of the story is entertaining enough, but is largely overshadowed by the charisma of Agent Cross. I actually had to go look up the main plot of the story just now, the telling was so enjoyable that what it was about didn't matter. I loved that fact that if this were a traditions Star Wars story with Luke and co. Agent Cross would be the enemy (he would certainly view the rebellion with distaste) and one in which Luke would probably meet his match. Chronologically, this story is based when Luke's still wanting to go to Toschi station to pick up power converters and other time-wasting activities with his friends.
If you like spy stories fully of action and intrigue with a lead character who can carry a story, then definitely give this one a go.
The artwork's not bad either.
The Empire, like any other organisation, is run on rules and is reliant on may parts. If those rules are broken and those parts don't do their job, Agent Cross is the man to fix the problem. If Cross is guilty of anything, it's that he believes the lies the Empire has fed him about the Jedi orchestrating the civil war in a bid to seize power. He views corruption as an act of treachery against the Empire.
This is a thrilling spy story with more than a subtle flavour of James Bond about it. The main plot of the story is entertaining enough, but is largely overshadowed by the charisma of Agent Cross. I actually had to go look up the main plot of the story just now, the telling was so enjoyable that what it was about didn't matter. I loved that fact that if this were a traditions Star Wars story with Luke and co. Agent Cross would be the enemy (he would certainly view the rebellion with distaste) and one in which Luke would probably meet his match. Chronologically, this story is based when Luke's still wanting to go to Toschi station to pick up power converters and other time-wasting activities with his friends.
If you like spy stories fully of action and intrigue with a lead character who can carry a story, then definitely give this one a go.
The artwork's not bad either.
Read
August 25, 2019I was never much for the old expanded universe, but I've been on quite an Ostrander kick lately, and the whole 'Agent of the Empire' bit suggested this would be him writing a lead who's somewhere between morally ambiguous and an outright nasty piece of work, which is where he excels. Plus, it was free on Kindle Unlimited, of which I'm in turn on a free trial at the moment (something like my fifth). So why not? But for the most part it seems not to engage much with the awfulness of Jahan Cross' employers, instead being content to play as James Bond in space (but not Moonraker). Hell, Cross is even old mates with Han Solo, who has a somewhat unlikely supporting role. And it's not as if he faces off against anyone remotely heroic here in order to complicate our sympathies; it's the old, slightly disappointing 'make an even more villainous villain the antagonist so the protagonist looks like a hero in comparison' trick. At best it's lightweight, going on flimsy, entertainment with vague Star Wars branding. Which rather confirms aforementioned sentiments on the old EU.
(Yes, I know some people would suggest Bond's employers were scarcely better than Cross' but, even leaving aside a preliminary eye-roll, the modern Bond comics do more with that than this does with Palpatine's lot)
(Yes, I know some people would suggest Bond's employers were scarcely better than Cross' but, even leaving aside a preliminary eye-roll, the modern Bond comics do more with that than this does with Palpatine's lot)
April 16, 2023
What if we combined Star Wars with political, intrigue, and James Bond? you get this book. This concept doesn’t sound half bad. Problem is the execution It’s not great. The art here is serviceable but not great. There are times when it’s a word salad with the dialogue Bubbles less is more. Our main protagonist is very bland and not that interesting. He’s very suave and he’s very smart, but he’s not a three dimensional character. He feels very one dimensional. Also him having a friendship with Han Solo feels very tacked on because they were at the Academy together. Of course they were. It be nice if Star Wars books could just trust the people are interested in the Star Wars world and you don’t have to be tied to the core three from the movies that would be nice. I think the concept of this book is interesting but I just don’t think it was executed well.
February 14, 2020
The Agent of Empire comics answers the unusual question of what if James Bond crossed over into the Star Wars universe? In this case, we get Agent Cross who works in service of the Empire and reporting directly to Director Isard of Imperial Intelligence. Cross is a rather fantastical fellow including special weapons and a very expensive droid companion with a wide variety of skills including computer slicing and of course combat.
The story is a little silly including an odd villain reveal and dragging in Han and Chewie into the mix but again it feels right for the sort of stories being released at the time of publication. It's not bad but it's quite campy and a little tricky to fully enjoy.
The story is a little silly including an odd villain reveal and dragging in Han and Chewie into the mix but again it feels right for the sort of stories being released at the time of publication. It's not bad but it's quite campy and a little tricky to fully enjoy.
April 21, 2023
Star Wars by way of James Bond is the type of thing that could happen on The Clone Wars, but never in the current Marvel Star Wars era. This is the type of experimentation that it seems only Dark Horse Star Wars comics could do. There are some interesting ideas here, but it doesn't quite reach its potential. I do kind of like that there's a connection to the Stark Hyperspace War, bringing it forward so it's not forgotten in the grand scheme of Star Wars. But I thought having Han Solo and Chewbacca involved throughout the story felt like a crutch. The story doesn't embrace the newer elements enough. The spider droid hybrid was quite a choice, and I'm not quite sure if it's a good one.
February 23, 2024
Cross. Jahan Cross. Clearly designed to be a sci-fi James Bond (heck, he even has a Q-type colleague whose inventions go awry), he's not that interesting or unique as a character. The story is okay. But shoehorning Han and Chewie into the goings on... there was no need for that. I think this Agent of the Empire line might represent what I disliked about Legends towards the end: it feels overcrowded and repetitive.
October 25, 2023
Star Wars Agent of the Empire – Iron Eclipse
Cross & Solo. Newly expressed arc of the Star Wars universe.
#1 – “What the --?! Who are you and what are you doing in my office?!”
#2 – “This man is agent of the Empire, Dahlis.”
#3 – “You don’t clean in here very often, do you, Solo?”
#4 – “Goodbye, Agent Cross.”
#5 – “Falcon?”
Cross & Solo. Newly expressed arc of the Star Wars universe.
#1 – “What the --?! Who are you and what are you doing in my office?!”
#2 – “This man is agent of the Empire, Dahlis.”
#3 – “You don’t clean in here very often, do you, Solo?”
#4 – “Goodbye, Agent Cross.”
#5 – “Falcon?”
August 2, 2017
This is a weird crossover of James Bond and Star Wars. Following an imperial agent who is basically... Bond, complete with string of sexual conquests and sexy-boobed-droid-companion.
It's a shame it didn't hit an Austin Powers vibe, now that would be a Star Wars story I'd like to see.
It's a shame it didn't hit an Austin Powers vibe, now that would be a Star Wars story I'd like to see.
May 25, 2020
This book was so much fun. This is basically a James Bond movie in Star Wars. This story is a testament to how much more SW can be beyond Rebels vs Empire when in the hands of a writer who knows how to have fun.
February 17, 2022
Agent of the Empire was short-lived series from Dark Horse (coming out shortly before the Disney buyout and license switching to Marvel) that was essentially Star Wars meets James Bond. Set three years before A New Hope, it is part of the Legends timeline. The first volume is the better one (though they're both good) and introduces us to Imperial Agent and member of the Diplomatic Corps, Jahan Cross. The main plot sees Cross investigate the late Iaco Stark and the mysterious unfinished Eclispe hotel. Stark had been the instigator of the Stark Hyperspace War (seen in early issues of the Star Wars: Republic series) which is recapped beautifully here for unfamiliar readers. The story is engaging, entertaining with great art. It feels very much like a Bond film (primarily the Daniel Craig films). It opens on a mission already in progress, features the equivalent of Bond Girls and a Bond Villain, gives us a Q analog and is just all around fun. If you like Bond and you like Star Wars, then this is the perfect pairing for you.
August 4, 2022
Snore
I expected more but got less to the point of actually skipping pages just to get to the plot point which lost to me out of boredom talk about a wasted purchase avoid this folks!
I expected more but got less to the point of actually skipping pages just to get to the plot point which lost to me out of boredom talk about a wasted purchase avoid this folks!
December 3, 2012
Anyone who knows me can vouch for just how big a fan of all things Star Wars I am. I’ve often said (and been berated for saying) that even a bad Star Wars story is a good Star Wars story to me, and that’s because I think the storytelling universe is so vast that I’ll accept something less-than-perfect so long as that means I get another adventure in the worlds inspired by George Lucas and the countless others who’ve contributed to that growing mythology. Of course, not all of these tales are up to my expectations for entertainment, but those of us who grew up in that long, long drought between RETURN OF THE JEDI and the Prequel Trilogy can tell you how sad and lonely our days were when no Star Wars installments were available … and I’ll happily take the bad with the good (or vice versa) any day.
(NOTE: the following review will contain minor spoilers necessary for discussion of the plot, circumstance, and characters. If you’re the kind of reader who prefers reviews fully spoiler-free, then I encourage you to skip to the bottom to paragraphs for my final assessment. However, if you don’t mind a few quick glances at ‘things to come,’ then read on … and may the Force be with you.)
Jahan Cross is an agent in special service to the Empire. He does the Emperor’s bidding, even when that means going into parts where the former Republic has no hold. When Palpatine learns that a secret weapon named ‘Iron Eclipse’ may spell certain doom for his government, he decides to send Cross in to investigate just what this ‘Eclipse’ may be and to secure it for use or, if need be, destroy it so that it can’t be turned against the Empire as a weapon.
Only because I think it’s important for readers to know, I want to clarify the chronology of ECLIPSE: this story takes place approximately three years before the events depicted in STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE, and that’s part and parcel of what makes it so interesting. There have only been a handful of excursions into that time period – understandably, a treacherous time when the Empire was still shaping a galaxy. What we learn about it in this tale is that, while Emperor Palpatine reserves the right to send Lord Vader or his Stormtroopers in to quell any uprising, he also has a third, more deceptive tool at his disposal: a spy who goes by the name Jahan Cross.
Cross is part Imperial officer, part diplomat, and part James Bond. He goes on secret missions into settled parts of the Empire, but he’s also free to go into systems where the Empire holds no sway. Like a good agent, he’s given some top-of-the-line equipment, and, for this adventure, that takes the shape of a super secret prototype class of droid that answers to the name In-Ga. She’s equipped to handle all measure of services on his behalf, including killing by command.
There’s plenty of daring action that takes place in these 120+ pages, and, for the most part, it strolls along at a good pace. What tremendously helps establish the world in this graphic novel is the fact that there are crossover elements from the already established Star Wars canon. For example, the events depicted in STAR WARS: RISE OF THE SITH play prominently into Cross’s personal history. Others places and characters are mentioned, and this helps establish a respectable level of familiarity with all of it. Of course, it never hurts to have a few notable guest star cameos, and who better than that lovable rogue Han Solo and Chewbacca to show up at an opportune moment?
Otherwise, ECLIPSE may not be to everyone’s liking. Some of Dark Horse’s STAR WARS tales involve new characters and settings, and that lack of exploring established characters can be mildly distracting to some or downright uninteresting. As I’ve tried to be clear, I tend to be far more accepting of it because I love the worlds created. However, ECLIPSE does have another factor playing against type in that this is not all that traditional a Star Wars story – it has all of the familiar elements, but it’s principally a spy story first and a science fiction story second. Imagine James Bond going head-to-head with some baddies in the worlds of George Lucas, and you probably get the drift.
STAR WARS: AGENT OF THE EMPIRE: IRON ECLIPSE is a production of Dark Horse Comics. The story is by John Ostrander; pencils are provided by Stephane Roux and Stephane Crety; inks are handled by Julien Hugonnard-Bert; colors are done by Wes Dzioba; and lettering is done by Michael Heisler.
RECOMMENDED, especially if you’re a fan jointly of STAR WARS and the James Bond franchise of films. If so, then you’re liable to get a solid kick out of IRON ECLIPSE. There’s spying and double-crossing and droids, all set against the vast canvas of the Star Wars universe, so you really can’t go wrong. It’s not quite Star Wars, and it’s not quite Bond, but it’s an acceptable blend of the two properties.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics provided me with a digital advance copy of STAR WARS: AGENT OF THE EMPIRE: IRON ECLIPSE for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
(NOTE: the following review will contain minor spoilers necessary for discussion of the plot, circumstance, and characters. If you’re the kind of reader who prefers reviews fully spoiler-free, then I encourage you to skip to the bottom to paragraphs for my final assessment. However, if you don’t mind a few quick glances at ‘things to come,’ then read on … and may the Force be with you.)
Jahan Cross is an agent in special service to the Empire. He does the Emperor’s bidding, even when that means going into parts where the former Republic has no hold. When Palpatine learns that a secret weapon named ‘Iron Eclipse’ may spell certain doom for his government, he decides to send Cross in to investigate just what this ‘Eclipse’ may be and to secure it for use or, if need be, destroy it so that it can’t be turned against the Empire as a weapon.
Only because I think it’s important for readers to know, I want to clarify the chronology of ECLIPSE: this story takes place approximately three years before the events depicted in STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE, and that’s part and parcel of what makes it so interesting. There have only been a handful of excursions into that time period – understandably, a treacherous time when the Empire was still shaping a galaxy. What we learn about it in this tale is that, while Emperor Palpatine reserves the right to send Lord Vader or his Stormtroopers in to quell any uprising, he also has a third, more deceptive tool at his disposal: a spy who goes by the name Jahan Cross.
Cross is part Imperial officer, part diplomat, and part James Bond. He goes on secret missions into settled parts of the Empire, but he’s also free to go into systems where the Empire holds no sway. Like a good agent, he’s given some top-of-the-line equipment, and, for this adventure, that takes the shape of a super secret prototype class of droid that answers to the name In-Ga. She’s equipped to handle all measure of services on his behalf, including killing by command.
There’s plenty of daring action that takes place in these 120+ pages, and, for the most part, it strolls along at a good pace. What tremendously helps establish the world in this graphic novel is the fact that there are crossover elements from the already established Star Wars canon. For example, the events depicted in STAR WARS: RISE OF THE SITH play prominently into Cross’s personal history. Others places and characters are mentioned, and this helps establish a respectable level of familiarity with all of it. Of course, it never hurts to have a few notable guest star cameos, and who better than that lovable rogue Han Solo and Chewbacca to show up at an opportune moment?
Otherwise, ECLIPSE may not be to everyone’s liking. Some of Dark Horse’s STAR WARS tales involve new characters and settings, and that lack of exploring established characters can be mildly distracting to some or downright uninteresting. As I’ve tried to be clear, I tend to be far more accepting of it because I love the worlds created. However, ECLIPSE does have another factor playing against type in that this is not all that traditional a Star Wars story – it has all of the familiar elements, but it’s principally a spy story first and a science fiction story second. Imagine James Bond going head-to-head with some baddies in the worlds of George Lucas, and you probably get the drift.
STAR WARS: AGENT OF THE EMPIRE: IRON ECLIPSE is a production of Dark Horse Comics. The story is by John Ostrander; pencils are provided by Stephane Roux and Stephane Crety; inks are handled by Julien Hugonnard-Bert; colors are done by Wes Dzioba; and lettering is done by Michael Heisler.
RECOMMENDED, especially if you’re a fan jointly of STAR WARS and the James Bond franchise of films. If so, then you’re liable to get a solid kick out of IRON ECLIPSE. There’s spying and double-crossing and droids, all set against the vast canvas of the Star Wars universe, so you really can’t go wrong. It’s not quite Star Wars, and it’s not quite Bond, but it’s an acceptable blend of the two properties.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics provided me with a digital advance copy of STAR WARS: AGENT OF THE EMPIRE: IRON ECLIPSE for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
July 15, 2017
in between episodes 3+4, imperial special envoy does missions. Its a Star Wars book, who can resist?
January 6, 2018
Bad premise, boring characters, rote plot threads, big on posturing and light on substance. Redeemed only by good art and TONS of weird/random EU references.
March 23, 2018
Some fun references to the EU, but overall a bland / unbelievable story with mediocre art. I think it would have been better as a parody than as a serious Bond-style tale.
February 22, 2019
5 issue mini-series about an undercover Imperial agent that works to root out corruption and double dealing against the Empire. It's a fun read. Really enjoyed it. Great premise.
May 25, 2021
James bond in star wars universe
August 16, 2021
Its like James bond set in the star wars universe
Read
May 5, 2022Wasn't interested in the story, and some of the female characters were barely covered so I was like ehhh, no thanks lol
April 9, 2022
People weren't wrong. Agent Jahan Cross is James Bond in Star Wars. And I love it! Espionage has always been my favorite genre. And mixing it into the world of Star Wars, getting a glimpse of how the Empire operates without the involvement of the mystical sides. Even with the feature of Han and Chewie, they didn't overshadow Jahan and his story. Eager to read the next.
August 4, 2019
Star Wars Legends Project #209
Background: Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse, released in November 2012, collects the five-issue series (December 2011-April 2012). They were written by John Ostrander. 3 issues were drawn by Stéphane Roux and the other 2 by
Stéphane Créty. Ostrander has written dozens and dozens of Star Wars comics, including the entire run of Agents of the Empire. Aside from drawing these three issues, Roux's other Star Wars stuff is a smattering of comic book covers, and Créty has drawn a handful of other issues as well.
Iron Eclipse is set sometime during the three years before the Battle of Yavin. The main character is Imperial Agent Jahan Cross. Cross reports to Armand Isard, and Han Solo and Chewbacca play a significant role, along with some significant events and figures from the Stark Hyperspace War.
Summary: Jahan Cross is one of the Empire's most loyal agents. He always gets the job done, which to him means acting in what he sees as the Empire's best interests, even if the results get him in trouble with his superiors. Cross's mission tracing stolen droid tech to the Corporate Sector is no exception. Cross is sure he's on the trail of a serious threat to the galaxy, but his boss is mostly interested in avoiding a diplomatic incident with powerful interests. Disavowed, again, and on the run, Cross must turn to an old friend and a beautiful potential ally to complete his mission. All in a day's work for the galaxy's best super-spy.
Review: If "Star Wars James Bond" doesn't strike you as a great idea for a comic book, then I don't know what you want from comic books. It's just a question of whether the execution lives up to the concept. Fortunately, Ostrander rarely disappoints, and he totally pulls this off. Cross is a solid character who comfortably heads a rich cast of supporting characters that all fit neatly into the ongoing story of the Star Wars universe. The art is excellent, and the action is virtually non-stop.
My one complaint is that the story is a bit goofy, and leans heavily into a concept that I think is overused in Star Wars (not nearly as overused as superweapon plots, but still). That said, it's still a good idea for the kind of story this is, and the plot is no worse than any of the James Bond movie plots, for what that's worth. Ultimately the characters are fun and things keep moving fast enough that the result is really entertaining. Totally inessential, but an enjoyable read.
A-
Background: Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse, released in November 2012, collects the five-issue series (December 2011-April 2012). They were written by John Ostrander. 3 issues were drawn by Stéphane Roux and the other 2 by
Stéphane Créty. Ostrander has written dozens and dozens of Star Wars comics, including the entire run of Agents of the Empire. Aside from drawing these three issues, Roux's other Star Wars stuff is a smattering of comic book covers, and Créty has drawn a handful of other issues as well.
Iron Eclipse is set sometime during the three years before the Battle of Yavin. The main character is Imperial Agent Jahan Cross. Cross reports to Armand Isard, and Han Solo and Chewbacca play a significant role, along with some significant events and figures from the Stark Hyperspace War.
Summary: Jahan Cross is one of the Empire's most loyal agents. He always gets the job done, which to him means acting in what he sees as the Empire's best interests, even if the results get him in trouble with his superiors. Cross's mission tracing stolen droid tech to the Corporate Sector is no exception. Cross is sure he's on the trail of a serious threat to the galaxy, but his boss is mostly interested in avoiding a diplomatic incident with powerful interests. Disavowed, again, and on the run, Cross must turn to an old friend and a beautiful potential ally to complete his mission. All in a day's work for the galaxy's best super-spy.
Review: If "Star Wars James Bond" doesn't strike you as a great idea for a comic book, then I don't know what you want from comic books. It's just a question of whether the execution lives up to the concept. Fortunately, Ostrander rarely disappoints, and he totally pulls this off. Cross is a solid character who comfortably heads a rich cast of supporting characters that all fit neatly into the ongoing story of the Star Wars universe. The art is excellent, and the action is virtually non-stop.
My one complaint is that the story is a bit goofy, and leans heavily into a concept that I think is overused in Star Wars (not nearly as overused as superweapon plots, but still). That said, it's still a good idea for the kind of story this is, and the plot is no worse than any of the James Bond movie plots, for what that's worth. Ultimately the characters are fun and things keep moving fast enough that the result is really entertaining. Totally inessential, but an enjoyable read.
A-
November 13, 2012
John Ostrander writes some of the best Star Wars comics out there. There are a lot of other great ones--Miller's Knights Of The Old Republic comes immediately to mind, as do the various miniseries that Dark Horse runs from time to time that are usually pretty good. But for me, Ostrander is where its at. His work on Star Wars: Legacy was superb (seriously, go track it down, its worth a look!), he introduced some of the best characters back in the old Republic title, and now he's doing this. Agent for the Empire.
Obviously, this is James Bond in the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Could be a bad idea, but Ostrander makes it work. Jahan Cross is an Imperial Agent in the days leading up to the destruction of the first Death Star. For Cross, its all about order and keeping the galaxy from falling into chaos. He believes Palpatine's Empire is the best means to that end, and so he will defend it to his dying breath. Does he see how cold and ruthless his master Armand Isard is? Probably not. What he does see are the various threats that tip the galaxy further towards chaos, threats he is sworn to oppose. In this opening volume Cross is dispatched to the Corporate Sector to investigate the unusual goings on surrounding the estate of a dead industrialist with a VERY colorful past....
We aren't used to rooting for the Empire to win. Even in the excellent Crimson Empire miniseries we were rooting for Kir Kanos, not the Empire at large. But John Ostrander manages to convince us that not every cog in the Imperial machine is as evil as Palpatine. There are Bond references everywhere of course, but this seems more like fun nods than it does derivative "ripping off" Bond. Also, there's a Muppet reference. I'll leave that for you to find.....
Obviously, this is James Bond in the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Could be a bad idea, but Ostrander makes it work. Jahan Cross is an Imperial Agent in the days leading up to the destruction of the first Death Star. For Cross, its all about order and keeping the galaxy from falling into chaos. He believes Palpatine's Empire is the best means to that end, and so he will defend it to his dying breath. Does he see how cold and ruthless his master Armand Isard is? Probably not. What he does see are the various threats that tip the galaxy further towards chaos, threats he is sworn to oppose. In this opening volume Cross is dispatched to the Corporate Sector to investigate the unusual goings on surrounding the estate of a dead industrialist with a VERY colorful past....
We aren't used to rooting for the Empire to win. Even in the excellent Crimson Empire miniseries we were rooting for Kir Kanos, not the Empire at large. But John Ostrander manages to convince us that not every cog in the Imperial machine is as evil as Palpatine. There are Bond references everywhere of course, but this seems more like fun nods than it does derivative "ripping off" Bond. Also, there's a Muppet reference. I'll leave that for you to find.....
April 17, 2013
Find this review and more at The AP Book Club
Most of the Star Wars comics I have read take place before the Original Trilogy. I really liked the Republic and Clone Wars series. This series takes place between Episodes 3 and 4! There isn't much media from this era, leaving plenty of untold stories. I am still hoping for the live-action Star Wars tv show that has been talked about for years.
The Empire is in control, but this series takes a different perspective. Instead of seeing the evils of the Empire through the Rebels' eyes, our protagonist is employed by the Empire. And his job is pretty much the James Bond of the Star Wars universe. I really enjoyed the way the writer and illustrator played with this secret agent feel. The sex appeal, gun fights, and class are all there.
As you can see from the cover, two of your favorite smugglers also make a cameo. I liked the way they were introduced into the story and look forward to other cameos as the series continues.
Johan Cross, the secret agent I've mentioned, has his own way of doing things. He also has an android with boobs named IN-GA 44. I really liked all the supporting cast, ranging from the sole alien mechanic to the rich Stark heiress. This first volume introduced a really fun vibe. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series. I give this first volume a 4/5.
Most of the Star Wars comics I have read take place before the Original Trilogy. I really liked the Republic and Clone Wars series. This series takes place between Episodes 3 and 4! There isn't much media from this era, leaving plenty of untold stories. I am still hoping for the live-action Star Wars tv show that has been talked about for years.
The Empire is in control, but this series takes a different perspective. Instead of seeing the evils of the Empire through the Rebels' eyes, our protagonist is employed by the Empire. And his job is pretty much the James Bond of the Star Wars universe. I really enjoyed the way the writer and illustrator played with this secret agent feel. The sex appeal, gun fights, and class are all there.
As you can see from the cover, two of your favorite smugglers also make a cameo. I liked the way they were introduced into the story and look forward to other cameos as the series continues.
Johan Cross, the secret agent I've mentioned, has his own way of doing things. He also has an android with boobs named IN-GA 44. I really liked all the supporting cast, ranging from the sole alien mechanic to the rich Stark heiress. This first volume introduced a really fun vibe. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series. I give this first volume a 4/5.
September 28, 2013
One of the strengths of Star Wars is how easily it can be adapted to other genres of stories. In Agent of the Empire, we have James Bond meets Star Wars, particularly older James Bond with Sean Connery or Roger Moore. The protagonist, Jahan Cross beds women with ease (though with no romantic attachment to them) and has all kinds of gadgets at his disposal. There is even a Q-like character with a variety of crazy gadgets and a healthy fear of Jahan destroying them while in the field. The character that steals the show is his droid partner who has more capabilities than any other droid I've seen in a Star Wars story, but also has some character and charm. Jahan has believable motivations for being a spy for the Empire and the writer, John Ostrander does a nice job of fitting this story into continuity and working in an appearance by Han Solo. As impressive as this is, the book is short on intrigue and by the end, the plot devolves into very standard comic book stuff with a villain who is crazy and wants to destroy the world. This is a shame because so much of the book is really good and I particularly liked the style of the art which was detailed and a pretty uniform style despite there being two artists. I would definitely enjoy reading the next volume of this series, but I also hope that it can have a more meaningful (or at least less predictable) plot than this first volume and perhaps reveal more about a somewhat intriguing protagonist.
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